In2014,JokoWidodo--popularlyknownasJokowi--waselectedtheseventhpresidentoftheRepublicofIndonesia,goingontowinasecondfive-yeartermin2019.Raisedamidpovertyinariversideslumandwithabackgroundinthefurnitureexporttrade,Jokowibrokethemoldforpoliticalleadersintheworld’sthird-largestdemocracy.HismeteoricrisecamewithoutthebenefitofpersonalconnectionstothetraditionaleliteswhohavedominatedIndonesianpoliticsforthree-quartersofacentury,makingthisatrue“ragstoriches“story.Thisnewofficialbiographytellsthestoryofhowtheboyfromtheriverbankmadeittothepresidentialpalaceinrecordtime.Readerswilllearnhowhispersonalbackgroundandheritagehavecreatedadistinctivestyleofpoliticsandinformedhisambitiousdevelopmentgoals--includingmassiveinfrastructureprojects,universalhealthcareandareimaginingofIndonesia’seducationalsystem.ItalsolooksathowamanraisedwithatraditionallyJavaneseworldviewnegotiatesthetensions,contradictionsandconflictsofthisvastarchipelagicnation.Writtenbyapoliticalinsiderwithunparalleledaccesstothepresidentandanintimatefirst-handknowledgeofhisdecision-makingprocesses,thisbookisessentialreadingforanyonelookingtounderstandthepoliticalpresent--andthefuture--ofSoutheastAsia’slargestnation.
